1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable information terminal, and more particularly to a portable information terminal which has a packet communication function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, various subscriber contracts between a user of a portable information terminal having a packet communication function and a communication undertaker are available. According to one of such contracts, the imposed charge is fixed while the packet communication data integrated amount within a certain fixed accounting unit period such as, for example, a month remains a certain fixed amount, but if the packet communication data integrated amount exceeds the fixed amount, then a charge which increases in proportion to the excessive packet communication data amount is imposed.
However, according to the accounting based on the packet communication data integrated amount described above, it is not known readily during data communication what amount of data has been communicated when compared with conventional accounting which is based on time. As a result, the portable information terminal is used exceeding the range of the fixed packet communication data integrated amount prescribed in the contract. Consequently, the accounting based on the packet communication data integrated amount has a problem in that a large amount of charge is imposed while the user does not recognize it.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable information terminal which can prevent a large amount of money from being imposed on a user while the user does not recognize it.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable information terminal wherein an original state of net surfing can be restored readily even if packet communication is disconnected.
In order to attain the objects described above, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an portable information terminal with a packet communication function, comprising integrating means for sequentially integrating transmission and reception packets within a period set in advance to obtain a packet communication data integrated amount, inputting means for inputting and setting a maximum value for the packet communication data integrated amount within the set period and an arbitrary one of a plurality of first terminal controlling parameters, and control means for comparing the maximum value for the packet communication data integrated amount and the packet communication data integrated amount integrated by the integrating means with each other and causing an operation in accordance with the first terminal controlling parameter inputted by the inputting means to be performed when a first comparison result indicating that the packet communication data integrated amount exceeds the maximum value for the packet communication data integrated amount is obtained.
In the portable information terminal, when the first comparison result indicating that the packet communication data integrated amount exceeds the maximum value for the packet communication data integrated amount within the set period is obtained, an operation in accordance with the first terminal controlling parameter which may be set arbitrarily by the user of the portable information terminal is performed. Therefore, where a parameter representative of a notification or an alarm is set as the first terminal controlling parameter, the user can be notified that the maximum value for the packet communication data integrated amount is exceeded. Further, where the maximum value for the packet communication data integrated amount is a maximum value for a packet communication data integrated amount within which the imposed charge is fixed within an accounting unit period, it can be prevented that a large amount of charge is imposed upon the user while the user does not recognize it.
The inputting means further may input and set an arbitrary one of a plurality of second terminal controlling parameters, and the control means may determine a dynamic estimated packet amount by calculation at a rate of days from the maximum value for the packet communication data integrated amount set arbitrarily within the period set in advance, compare the dynamic estimated packet amount with the packet communication data integrated amount integrated by the integrating means, and perform an operation in accordance with the second terminal controlling parameter inputted by the inputting means when a second comparison result indicating that the packet communication data integrated amount exceeds the dynamic estimated packet amount is obtained.
In the portable information terminal, it is discriminated whether or not the packet communication data integrated amount within an accounting unit period set in advance exceeds a dynamic estimated packet amount so that the situation of use can be grasped at any time even during the accounting unit period. Therefore, limitation to use when the end of the set period comes or waste of a packet amount which can be used without imposition of additional charge can be reduced.
In this instance, the first and second terminal controlling parameters may include a disconnection parameter, and where the disconnection parameter is set as the first terminal controlling parameter by the inputting means, the control means may perform a disconnection process when the packet communication data integrated amount exceeds the maximum value for the packet communication data integrated amount, but where the disconnection parameter is set as the second terminating control parameter, the control means may perform a disconnection process when the packet communication data integrated amount exceeds the dynamic estimated packet amount.
Alternatively, the first and second terminal controlling parameters may include a saving parameter, and where the saving parameter is set as the first terminal controlling parameter by the inputting means, the control means may perform a saving process of stopping automatic image reading when the packet communication data integrated amount exceeds the maximum value for the packet communication data integrated amount, but where the saving parameter is set as the second terminating control parameter, the control means may perform a saving process of stopping automatic image reading when the packet communication data integrated amount exceeds the dynamic estimated packet amount.
In the portable information terminal, when the packet communication data integrated amount exceeds the dynamic estimated packet amount, automatic image reading typically by a browser is stopped. Consequently, self-control in excessive utilization of data communication by net surfing or the like can be urged, and the packet communication data amount can be saved.
The inputting means may further input and set an arbitrary one of a plurality of third terminal controlling parameters, and the control means may determine a dynamic estimated packet amount by calculation at a rate of days from the maximum value for the packet communication data integrated amount set arbitrarily within the set period, compare a threshold value obtained by multiplying the dynamic estimated packet amount by a predetermined coefficient smaller than 1 with the packet communication data integrated amount integrated by the integrating means, and perform an operation in accordance with the third terminal controlling parameter inputted by the inputting means when a third comparison result indicating that the packet communication data integrated amount is smaller than the threshold value is obtained. In this instance, the inputting means may input at least one of a parameter for generating an alarm and another parameter for displaying contents of comparison as the third terminal controlling parameter.
In the portable information terminal, when a third comparison result indicating that the packet communication data integrated amount is smaller than the threshold value which is much smaller than the dynamic estimated packet amount is obtained, an operation in accordance with the third terminal controlling parameter inputted by the inputting means is performed. Consequently, where a parameter representative of a notification or an alarm is set as the third terminal controlling parameter, the user can be notified that the packet communication data integrated amount is small.
The controlling means may store a current URL if browsing is proceeding when a disconnection process is performed. In the portable information terminal, an original state of net surfing can be restored readily.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable information terminal with a packet communication function, comprising integrating means for sequentially integrating transmission and reception packets within an accounting unit period to obtain a packet communication data integrated amount, inputting means for inputting and setting a maximum value for the packet communication data integrated amount within which a fixed charge is imposed within the accounting unit period and first and second terminal controlling parameters, and control means for comparing the maximum value for the packet communication data integrated amount and the packet communication data integrated amount integrated by the integrating means with each other and causing an operation in accordance with the first terminal controlling parameter to be performed when the packet communication data integrated amount exceeds the maximum value for the packet communication data integrated amount is obtained, but causing another operation in accordance with the second terminal controlling parameter to be performed when the packet communication data integrated amount exceeds a dynamic estimated packet amount determined by calculation at a rate of days from the maximum value for the packet communication data integrated amount set arbitrarily within the accounting unit period.
In the portable information terminal, when the packet communication data integrated amount exceeds the maximum value for the packet communication data integrated amount with in which the imposed charge is fixed within an accounting unit period, the portable information terminal can be controlled in accordance with the first terminal controlling parameter. On the other hand, when the packet communication data integrated amount exceeds the dynamic estimated packet amount, the portable information terminal can be controlled in accordance with the second terminal controlling parameter.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts or elements are denoted by like reference symbols.